A Writer's Fairy-tale
by AboveReality
Summary: Annemarie Smith has traded London for South Bronx. As a professional writer, she needs to submit new work every now and then too maintain her income. Out of the blue she experiences the nightmare of any novellist; a writer's block. Then everything spiralls out of control after a brutal murder that centers around her more than she likes. Takes place during Wolf Among Us. Slight AU.
1. Welcome

The fanfic is based on the new Telltale game; A Wolf Among Us. It will follow Annemarie Smith during the game.

Things will be made up or slightly AU since I cannot predict the game's outcome or choices. I slowly move through each episode. After I have cleared one, there will be a pause until the next one comes out. I know **nothing** from the Fables comics. So every piece of infomation about the Fables and their world I take from the game, from their fairytales or I make it up myself (but I want to avoid that).

Rated T for violence, language and possible minor adult situations. Rating may go up!

**Remember: English is not my mother-language. So forgive any bad grammar.**

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Chapter 01: Welcome

Cracked walls with isolation spilling out here and there, bad electricity that threatened to fall out at any given moment, an old wooden floor with obvious signs of water damage screaming for replacement and no insulated glazing in the windows. At least it had some satellite TV and a radio.

It was a poor maintained, small double room apartment located in South Bronx that needed some serious work.. or should simply be demolished. It was located in a bad neighbourhood where carrying a gun could probably save one for being robbed from their money _and_ their life, but..

"It suffices. I'll take it," Annemarie Smith muttered, grabbing the large hand of the landlord who was the owner of the so-called Tennement Building that had now become her home. "It's better than nothing."

"Damn right it is lady. I except your rent later this week, understand? I can throw you out just like the previous owner if you don't meet up our agreements," a greasy, grumpy old man barked. Drops of spit got caught in his unkempt beard here and there.

"Understood," Ann simply said giving the man a firm nod with her hair of faded, obviously painted, red hair wobbling in the lousy bun at the back of her head.

"Good. Do with it what you want, girlie. But don't destroy it or blow it up or else.." He murmured, but didn't continue, and turned his back to her. Happy that he got another desperate poor soul that he could leech on.

"Don't worry.. I won't.." She muttered. _'Not that there is anything left to blow up.'_

So here she was. All the way from England as an aspiring writer with the American Dream playing over and over in her head. And where did she end up? In fucking downtown New York.

Ann sighed and started to unpack the few things that she had brought with her and survived their journey from England to this wretched place. _Once_ she had the money to travel around the world for her novel. _Once_ she would have the riches to pay for one of the luxury apartments up-town Manhattan and life the American life. But alas it didn't turn out that way.

She looked at the few belongings that she had left and unpacked sprawled out in front of her on that hideous dark wooden floor. There was a pink toothbrush, some books, a pair of bed sheets, some clothing and shoes, her laptop and some photographs aside from some other mundane objects. Ann couldn't help it, but let her fingers brush one of the photograph's dark frames. The one with her and a young woman, both grinning mad.

Ann felt a smile tuck at her lips as she took in the photograph and let the memories of that moment flash before her mind's eye. Her hair was its natural blond back then and her vivid green eyes were just as sparkly and alive as the hazel pair of the African girl next to her. Who had her arm draped around her shoulders. She even had less wrinkles back then.

_"Hey.. brother! There's an endless road to rediscover.."_

With a sigh she laid it away and her eyes swept across the apartment. It clearly needed some cleaning up before it was deemed inhabitable in her eyes. So Ann draped her black trench coat over a dusty chair. It was a nice coat. Excellent for autumn and early winter as it could stand the rain (until a certain point), accented the feminine form of the wearer at the same time and had a delicate fringe at the hem.

_"Hey.. sister! Know the water's sweet but blood is thicker.."_

She rolled up the sleeves of her blouse, pushed a window open and as the fresh air (what one could call fresh with all the pollution) wafted inside her new home, she vacuumed, scrubbed and washed until her hands shrivelled. But after a few hours of some hard labour, she was done. Ann stood back, wiping with the back of her hand the sweat and the sticky strands of her fringe away, and admired her work whilst the radio softly emitted some music through her small apartment.

_"Oh! If the sky comes falling down, for you.."_

The floor was no longer sticky and the cabinets held no dust anymore. The kitchen and bathroom were clean and reeked no longer. The single chair and couch held no curious stains anymore, though they were in desperate need of replacement it would have to do. Ah! She could even see through the windows!

_"There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do..!"_

Knocks on her door pulled her out of her little mind. Swiftly, Ann turned on her heels and opened her front door revealing a short, stout man. He scraped his throat and held up an awkward hand as his eyes shyly casted down to his bare feet.

"Uhm.. hi."

"Good evening."

The man seemed to be in his late forties, was bald aside from a few stray hairs. He was unshaven, sweaty and had a beer belly that his smudged white shirt didn't quite cover. Beneath that he wore an equally smudged green sweatpants with a few holes here and there. There was an awkward pause as Ann watched him and waited for him to continue.

"I.. uh," the man muttered, his large slightly bulging eyes shifting from side to side as if he was afraid that they were being watched. He reminded her somehow of a frog with his plump appearance. "I heard that someone moved in next to us here on the ground floor. The place has been empty for months.. but, uh.."

He wiped his large sweaty and slightly trembling hand on his shirt and held it out to her. Ignoring the strange smell that emanated off of this man, Ann gently grabbed it and shook it. It seemed to give the man some courage, for his voice was far more steady this time and he seemed less nervous.

"Welcome to the neighbourhood. I'm Mr. Toad."

The name made Ann snicker a bit. It was fitting. "Well, I thank you for welcoming me. I'm Annemarie Smith, but call me Ann."

"That's a pretty name!" A small voice chirped, causing Ann to raise a slight eyebrow and look down. A small boy stood at Mr. Toad's side. He shared the toad-like features like his father, but didn't seem inherit the shiftiness nor the baldness from his dad for he had some wild, unkempt chocolate brown hair on top of his head and lively eyes. Ann judged him to be 10 years old, give or take.

She kneeled down and looked slightly up at the small boy, a grin on her features. "Well thank you. I can see you are properly raised." Ann could see Mr. Toad's chest swell up with pride in the corner of her eyes. "What's your name?"

The boy giggled and pressed his thumb at his chest. "I'm CJ! You have a funny voice! Where are you from?"

"Britain. England to be exact."

His dark green eyes seemed to grow and his mouth formed a small 'o'. "Wow, that's a long way from home! Why are you here then? Don't you miss your family?" This boy was quite a straight-forward little fellow.

"Now, now CJ. I am sure the lady has her reasons to live here, just like we have ours. She has just arrived and surely wants some alone time, don't you think?" The boy casted down his gaze and directed it towards his feet when his dad scolded him. Ann rose on her feet and gave Mr. Toad a small appreciative smile. His attention turned from his little boy to her.

"Well, miss Smith. If you need anything don't be afraid to come to us. But knock first, alright?"

It caused her to chuckle and nodded. "Alright, I will. Thank you for you kindness Mr. Toad." The man gave her a small nod as if he told her that it was of no trouble. CJ waved her good bye that she returned with a smile. Ahead she could see the pizza boy come in and relieved him from his burden that was her ordered pizza.

She had food, a roof and some neighbours who were odd, but likeable. That left one more thing; a job. She was a writer.. a novelist to be exact and made some pretty decent money with it. But something in her gut nudged her that it wouldn't be enough in these tough times. The economy had significantly dropped and her publisher had been more strict and demanding. They only took the best right now.. and sometimes she didn't fit those demands.

Ann munched on the last bit of her pizza as she stared at her laptop where the first words of a new novel had been written. But she had a problem, one that all writers had to cope with; a writer's block. The condition in which an author loses the ability to fantasize new things, let alone produce. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some 'blocked' writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers.

It was her nightmare; not able to write anymore. Writing was what she studied and observed. It was where she excelled in, what she loved and _breathed_. So the inspiration loss that she was now experiencing was dreadful to say the least. Inspiration loss meant no decent novel and thus no income.

But where to find inspiration?

_'Well, where a lot of people with stories are. That means a bar.. but where can I find a decent bar around here?' _She thought to herself and opened her internet browser.

"Google is your best friend," Ann silently murmured as her fingers flew over her keyboard. After a few mouse clicks she had several addresses that weren't too far away and a short drive with a cab, or at least a half an hour walk. And although she wasn't keen on visiting those bars let alone _work _there for she wasn't quite the outgoing type, but she had to do something for a living, right?

She scribbled the addresses on a post-it and stuck it on her fridge. It would have to wait until tomorrow. Now, she needed to refresh her resume and think of a plan.

She would be best female bartender they had ever seen.

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	2. Lost

Not that pleased with the ending. Ahwell.. Sorry for the mary-sue'ish angst. I need some drama here.

**Remember: English is not my mother-language!**

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Chapter 02: Lost

"What do you mean; I don't get the job?"

"Exactly that, missy. You're not fitting the profile we are looking for, that's all."

"But I have a perfect resume! I've worked at several pubs when I was younger or when I was in need of money, I understand the do's and don'ts of mixing drinks. I can handle customers perfectly.. so I think your reason of not hiring me is invalid."

"Look, miss, your resume is marvellous. It's just-"

"It's because I'm British, right?"

"N-no! Yes, but-"

"You know what good sir? Forget it. I don't want to work here anymore."

A furious Ann with cheeks almost as red as her hair stormed out of a pub called Flint's Brews. The name sounded a bit Irish to her (giving her a false flicker of hope), but it appeared to be run by assholes. No.. they were worse than that. They just judged her because of the way she talked! It made her _furious_!

"Bloody racists," she seethed when she pulled up the collar of her trench coat to shield herself against the onslaught of rain and numerous of squalls that almost made her lose her balance. Silently she cursed herself for not having an umbrella, but then again; in this weather it would be more of a nuisance than a relief.

Flint's had been the last one on her list. Nobody was either hiring staff or she didn't 'fit their profile' how they liked to call it. Now what? It was the only thing she was qualified to do, and working as a cashier in a store didn't sound quite appealing to her. It would be her last resort.

Grunting and muttering curses underneath her breath she entered the Tennement Building, deftly evading a huge bald man who sported a long brown beard. He'd probably never even noticed her for she was certainly a head smaller than him and twice as thin. In that brief moment Ann identified him as her upper neighbour. Though she hadn't introduced herself to him yet she had spotted him a few times now in the distance. Toad had identified him as Woody and one she 'shouldn't really involve herself with'. How odd.

Her hair that was now a vivid red, thus recently coloured, had escaped the everlasting bun because of the weather outside and now clung to her face like an octopus. With a huff she ran a hand through the long, dripping locks feeling some knots here and there. She was already looking forward at untangling the bird's nest on top of her scalp.

After Ann pushed the shopping cart away from her door for a thousandth time (she had discovered it was a habit of someone, but she had yet to find the culprit) and fiddled with her keys a thought crossed her mind. She was just living here for almost a week and there was no way she could have googled every single pub around here. Her green eyes slid to the door on her left.

"Mr. Toad? Are you there?"

Her voice echoed in the empty hallway as she called out for her neighbour. Her knuckles scraped the hard wooden door a few times, but no one answered.

"Mr. Toad?"

She knocked a few more times, but there was still no answer. She paused, straining her ears to listen for any sign of movement. Ah, there it was. Shuffling.

"Mr. Toad, I know you are in there! I just need your help with something.. nothing major though. Please?" She called out again. '_At least not major for you.._'

After a minute of silence that small flicker of hope that had grown inside of Ann slowly vanished. He apparently wasn't home or didn't want to talk to her. Too bad. Just when she wanted to turn away, she heard some clear shuffling and scraping throat from the other side of the door.

"What is it?" The annoyed voice of Mr. Toad grumbled. "I'm busy!"

Ann was mildly surprised at the snappiness of her neighbour. She decided to let the matter be and leaned with her forehead on the door, hoping that he would hear her. "I was just.." When did her voice sound so small?

"I was just wondering if you could help me? Do you know a bar who wants to hire someone or has connections or something?"

There was a pause from the other side of the door. Finally he spoke once more, but his voice seemed to originate much lower to the ground than Ann had first thought. Was he injured or something? She decided not to press it and let the matter be. If he needed help he would surely call her right?

"You can try at The Trip Trap Bar. It's located not far from here in The Bronx, at least a 15 minute walk from here. If you exit the building go to your left, then the second right, immediate left and then the second left. If you think you're wrong, you're right."

"Thank you, Mr. Toad. If you need anything, don't be afraid to call me okay?"

There was some guttural agreement coming from the door, followed by a soft "Be careful" that her ears almost didn't pick up for she had already turned on her heels and walked to the front door. Ann took a deep breath and exited the building expecting to be at the mercy of the weather gods, but it never happened.

The rain had stopped and the wind had dwindled just a bit, but still played with her fiery hair as her heels clicked on the pavement in hurried steps. She was cold, still a bit wet due to the rain earlier and she was tired. Her biological clock told her it must be around midnight, but there were still so many people on the streets!

'_Second right.. immediate left and then.. left or right?_'

Ann stood on the corner of a street and stroked some hair out of her face. People brushed past her, each and every single one with a destination of its own. All with a purpose, like ants. She looked to her left, then to her right and a feeling of lost settled itself in her gut.

She sucked in a breath and decided. She was going right.

"'If you think you're wrong, you're right' he said," Ann muttered to herself, trying to bolster her courage. Her eyes shifted around, taking in the neighbourhood and hugged herself whilst the wind snatched her hair and coat. The number of people on the streets significantly dropped, like the condition of the houses. Ann started to feel less and less comfortable.

"Hey, honey. Where are you going?"  
Ann stopped dead in her tracks and snapped around, her eyes boring in the dark coals of the man standing in front of her. He was about her height, incredibly skinny (almost emaciated) and hunched forward. His skin was paler than hers, wrinkly and looked sickly despite the yellow hue of to the streetlight above them. Everything about him screamed 'DANGER! DANGER!' to her.

His lips curled back, showing a row of some nasty yellow teeth that probably hadn't seen a toothbrush or paste in ages and were the very nightmare of dentists. "What? Cat caught your tongue lovely?" His voice sounded like the cawing of a crow. Sharp and raspy.

"My destination is none of your concern. Get. Lost," Ann growled. Trying to sound intimidating, but her efforts disappeared like a cloud in front of the sun when the man's grin only widened.

"Why, the kitty has some claws. Don't worry, we'll rip them out for you-"

'_Wait, we?_'

"- Jeff?"

A pair of arms suddenly encaged her, trying to pull her against a broad chest. She shrieked in surprise and that was when her instincts kicked in. She flailed around like a mad woman, striking everything in reach with her kneels and heels. Finally, she managed to tear herself away from the groping hand and ran straight into an alley.

"Fucking _bitch_. Don't just stand around! Fucking get her!" She heard the lither man rasp.

Thick, heavy footsteps followed her. With each step Ann felt her heels sink in the muddy alley way, slowing her down significantly. Thank the gods that the heels were strapless. With a small jump, she flipped them off and started to continue on her bare feet. She had no time to pull a face in disgust on how the mud seeped between her toes with each step.

She didn't dare to look back with her breath hitching in her throat and cramp traveling down her legs, nestling itself in her shins. Then a sharp pain travelled up her foot, causing her to gasp and jump. It was excruciating and hurt like hell with each step. She looked up, her hair whipping around her face in a red halo when she noticed the other end of the alley came closer and closer. People walked by, emerged in their own thoughts and not noticing the chase in the dark space between two buildings.

Just when Ann thought she was safe with a couple of meters to spare, something caught her coat and pulled hard. With violent smack she was thrown against the grimy black wall. Instantly an enormous foul reeking hand closed around her throat just below her jaw and pressed upwards and forward, causing sharp pain to flare up. A sickening metallic taste started to coat her tongue and her vision swam before her eyes when she dared to open them. She stared straight into the horrendously deformed face of the grunt that had dared to trap her less than a minute ago.

"Gotcha.."

Ann felt his hand apply more pressure against her throat. She gasped, her nails raking along the skin in the hope that he would release her. Her bare feet twitched when they slowly lost their touch with the ground.

"Kill her. We can ransack her corps. Such a pretty thing must have some valuables on her," the raspy voice of the second attacking spewed. Amusement latching onto every word.

Tears streamed from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks as her gaze casted upwards to the dark sky above her. She felt her arms grow weak and slip from the hand around her neck, only to dangle beside her. Was this it? The end?

Someone yelled, no _roared_. It echoed in her head, but she couldn't identify the words. Suddenly she was released and the moment her toes touched the ground her legs crumpled. Unable to carry her weight just yet. Her body twitched and screamed as each oxygen intake made her lungs grew twice their normal size. She coughed and reeled, emptying her stomach god knew where and was barely aware of two pair of feet ran away.

A hand landed on her shoulder, big and strong and pinching slightly to get her attention. She blinked a few times and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, tasting the bile on her tongue along with that metallic taste of blood.

"Take it easy, girl. You okay?"

The voice was deep, raw and strangely soothing to her ears that now started to work again. Ann looked up meeting a pair of dark hazel eyes that glanced down at her. She couldn't help but to feel small, insignificant, underneath that dark gaze. So she pulled her eyes away from him and finally took the time to get her bearings.

Ann was sitting against the grimy wall in the mud and almost in her own vomit. She was shaking like a leaf, her throat hurt and she was slightly covered in mud, but at least she was alive.

"I.. I think I am. Thank you." Her raspy voice trembled as she spoke and her tongue hurt. Did she bit her tongue?

"Can you stand?" The hand on her shoulder removed itself and was held out in front of her face. Palm turned upwards like an invitation.

Ann said nothing and grasped the warm and calloused hand. The contrast of her pale hand holding the tanned counterpart was almost blinding. She felt him pull her up almost gently as if she would shatter like glass. Her other hand reached out behind her, steadying herself against the wall. Her bare feet almost slipped in the mud, but with a light weight adjustment she managed to stand on both feet. A hand came to rest on her back to help steady her.

A dull pain throbbed in Ann's left ankle. It was probably lightly sprained, but it seemed manageable until she noticed how tightly she was actually grasping the man's hand and how much the world actually swayed before her eyes. Ann looked up, meeting those hazel depths again.

The owner of them had a strong jaw covered in stubble, a straight nose, defining cheekbones and some epic sideburns that turned into thick brown locks, combed back a bit to stay out of his face. He was overall not bad looking if you fell for the slightly rugged type guy. Somehow he vaguely reminded her of Wolverine from the X-men comics, but slightly more feral.

His lips then moved but no sound came out of it. A crease appeared between his eyebrows and his hand on her back grasped her shoulder, shaking her. He spoke again, this time her ears picked up the words but it took a time to for her head to wrap around them.

"Hey! Stay with me! _Shit_.." The man sighed, looking around him with his sharp eyes trying to find something that would help him. Anything..

"Can you tell me where you live? Do you live nearby? Or in a hotel or..?"

"I.. I.." Ann merely croaked, unable to produce anything else from her trembling lips. Then she felt herself go lax and fall straight into darkness.

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	3. Two Worlds

Short chapter, the calm before the storm as I like to say ^^. Next one will be huge!

**Remember: English isn't my motherlanguage. I apologize my crappy writing!**

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Chapter 03: Two worlds

"In.. shock.. where..?"

"Mundy.. can't..!"

"I promise.. tell nothing.."

A groan escaped Ann's lips. Her head felt like it had been split right open and her throat felt like thousands of little needles stabbed its insides. She felt sore all over, and despite her screaming muscles' she had the instinctive urge to get up and running as soon as possible. The moment she had raised herself only a little, a hand was gently pressed against her shoulder and pushed her down.

"Don't get up too quickly. Your head must be swimming right now."

Ann forced her eyes to open and automatically found the azure ones of the woman sitting next to her. Slow and steady she moved, under the watchful gaze of the woman, and eventually sat upright. She took a deep breath, forcing down the nausea.

"There, welcome back to the land of the living honey. Drink. Easy though, your throat must be a mess.."

A glass of cold water was pressed in her hands. Without question Ann drunk it, almost choking on it but with sheer determination she emptied the glass. The woman sitting next to her was clearly middle-aged with some wrinkles on her pretty face. She seemed to be the kind of person where beauty apparently came with age. Her hair was a silvery white, her eyes and make up a bright azure, but oddly complementing each other. She was skinny, slightly tanned and Ann's eyes could briefly spot the purple colourings of a tattoo across her chest.

"T-thank you." God, her voice sounded horrible. Ann scraped her sore throat gently for it hurt like hell and reached up to touch the bruised skin.

"No problem. How are you feeling?"

Ann threw her legs on the edge of the couch she had been laying on and shifted her seat whilst she let her bare toes gently touch the wine-coloured carpet. It was soft and warm. Her coat and scarf were gone and the first top buttons of her blouse were loose to expose her neck.. which felt horrible. Her green eyes quickly gazed around the small, dimly lit room she was in. She didn't recognize it.

"Sore.. tired.. Like my head has been chopped off, played footba- soccer with and then reattached. Where am I actually?" (Ann had to remind herself that this was America and not England, where the term football meant a different kind of sport here in the US than back home.)

The woman laughed, her voice a bit raspy like that of an aged woman but with strength that most elders seemed to lack. Ann could tell she was youthful for her age, it showed in her eyes and her laugh.

"That's a good way to put it, sweetie. You are at my house, above the Trip Trap Bar that I happen to own. Name's Holly."

Ann shook the outstretched hand, ignore the strange tingle that seemed to come from her. It made the hairs on her neck stand on end. "Nice to meet you Holly. I'm Annemarie Smith. How.. how did I get here? I remember.." She paused, sucking in her breath when the memories of recent events flashed before her eyes.

"I remember in an alley. Someone saved me, a man. After that it's all just a blur. I was on my way to your bar.."

Holly looked at her with some strange emotion flickering in her azure eyes. A gentle smile tucked at her dark red lips. "Yeah, someone brought you here barely conscious and in shock. After a while you relaxed and went to sleep, giving us the time to look at that neck of yours, but nothing was seriously damaged though I would be wearing that scarf for a while if I were you."

"How long-?"

"About 16 hours. It's about 5 pm right now."

"I see."

"Who-?"  
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. He doesn't want to be known around Mun- town."

An uncomfortable pause lingered between the two women. With a sigh Ann stood up, albeit a bit wobbly on her feet and wanted to thank Holly for her kindness, who had also stood and gazed at her.

"Look, I-"

"Want to stay over for dinner?"

The abruptness of Holly took Ann a bit back. But when she saw the worry and concern flickering in the elder woman, combined with a small smile. Ann quickly recovered and returned the upward tuck of the lips. She nodded.

"Yeah, I would love to."

The dinner was delicious despite the effort it took to actually swallow. It appeared that Holly has been living here on her own for quite a while with no husband insight and an exceptional sorceress with food. She was married to her bar as she liked to say, and to the regulars. Ann had explained that she was looking for a job and that it was the reason why she was heading for Trip Trap in the first place.

Unfortunately, Holly didn't have the money nor need for an employer but wrote down an address to a place who could 'use an extra pair of hands'. She didn't mention any names nor the name of the bar. She merely said 'you will know who to ask the moment you walk inside'. A strange and vague advice. If would have come from Toad, Ann would have to decline, but Holly seemed genuine and the type that had some good connections.

"Thank you, Holly, for the delicious dinner and the kindness you have bestowed upon me."

Holly released Ann from her embrace and patted her shoulder. "You British and your over-polite words.." She drawled and handed the redhead her coat and brightly coloured scarf, along with her shoes (Ann didn't bother to ask where she'd got them). She would need the scarf to hide the deep purple bruises around her neck for quite some time. "But thank you for being the perfect guest. I wish you luck with your novel.. and don't hesitate to come visiting every now and then. I have stories that would make your ears blush.."

"I will! You have given me both food for stomach and thought. Good bye,"

When Ann stepped outside into the cold outside world, she turned around giving her hostess a last genuine grin. Holly grinned back, but a bit timidly. That moment Ann could see an unknown storm brewing behind those azure eyes. With a quick wave of her hand she was gone, mingled with the faceless crowd that passed Holly's door. Everyone heading somewhere. Everyone with a purpose.

Slowly Holly closed the door of her bar and sighed, her eyes meeting the hazel ones of the lone guest that sat at her bar. It was dangerous to help a Mundy, everyone here in Fabletown knew it, but they were also living things with feelings and a life. So how could the kind bartender say no when the _sheriff_ practically dropped the woman on her very doorstep.

Even though Holly was furious of Bigby abandoning her and the girl to do his 'duties', she was also mildly surprised that he had even bothered to help her. It must have involved some Fables.. and he probably could not have abandoned her there in that alley.

But at what cost?

Meanwhile, Ann almost reached the Tenement Building. She had walked in a rather hasty pace with her eyes casted down to her feet, looking over her shoulder every once in a while with the paranoid feeling of being pursued. Which was silly of course.

When she opened the door of her building, she quickly stepped aside letting a woman pass through the open door. She had bright green eyes, almost matching her own and short black hair. The woman's eyes glanced in her direction, the corner of her pink lips curling upwards.

"Thanks!" She cheerily said and waved before turning on her heels and walked away with haste. Her strides short, but fast in the tight miniskirt. The streetlights illuminating her way.

"No probs," Ann whispered almost inaudible and entered the building. When she pushed the shopping cart away from her door, her ears caught a soft knocking sound coming from Toad's front door. Was he knocking on his own door?

"Ann? Are you there?" The familiar voice of Mr. Toad called from behind the green wood. It was uncharacteristically meek.

"Yeah, it's me. Don't worry, Mr. Toad."

He must have heard the rawness of her voice for the doorknob twitched but then stopped. Something must have withheld Toad from opening the door and looking at her whilst they conversed. He scraped his throat a bit and seemed to lean against the door for his voice now sounded much clearer.

"I'm.. sorry.. about what happened. I should have written it down for you or something or have given clearer directions or-"

"There was nothing _wrong_ about your directions Mr. Toad. I was just merely confused, not paying attention, and.. I'm alive. That is what's most important right? Don't beat yourself up over it. Good night," Ann called to him and entered her own apartment, tired of talking and being constantly reminded of the previous night. It was done, over and she was alive. Due to whom? She had no idea and probably never will.

After a nice hot shower, she sat in her PJ's in front of the television. Unknown to her, her little live would take a hundred-and-eighty degrees turn tomorrow. But for now CNN banish her thoughts and let her care for the outside world, forgetting her own personal demons for just a short while.

Ignorance is bliss, right?


	4. 180 Degrees

**Wow. I reeaallly took my time to upload this little beauty here. Just because you guys asked for it is the reason I actually did it xd. The story is going to be put on hold for a short while. I first want my LOTR fic All Shall Fade up and running properly before I return to WAU. I PROMISE that I will continue this. I will. I truly will. It just needs some time.**

I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 04: 180 degrees

"Welcome to our midst Miss Smith."

"Thank you Mister… Bluebeard, right? I am looking forward to working with you."

"So am I."

Ann's hand still felt strangely tingly from the handshake after she exited the building. She had a job, but a different one than she had intentionally come here for. She was going to be the secretary of a guy named Bluebeard. He was bald, well-dressed and sported a tightly cropped Van Dyk beard that was a very dark blue.

Something about this Bluebeard gave her the jeebies and made her wary of how he played with the words rolling from his lips. He was the type of person that was used to getting what he wanted, no matter the means. Despite that, Ann was glad that she at least had a job.

Her heels clicked on the pavement as she walked home, releasing her fire-red hair from its bun and allowing the wind to have a go at it. It felt like something heavy was lifted from her shoulder and god damn it felt good.

Something in the corner of her eyes attracted Ann's attention. She halted in her stride and glanced at the opposite side of the street. It was that girl with the black hair.. the one that she had almost bumped into just a few days back. She was leaning against the wall and talking with a tall bald man with a green tartan patterned shirt that almost hid her lithe form from view.

'_What the hell is she doing there..?_'

The girl talked animated, her hands reaching out to the man and casting down her eyes shyly only to look up through her eyelashes. It were the gestures of a woman seducing a man.. or a possible customer in her case. A sigh escaped Ann's lips. She should have figured. Every big city has hookers in one way or another.

'_But she looks so young.._'

Deciding that this was none of her business, how frustrating it was to see, Ann resumed her pace to the warm safety of her home.

The image of the girl and the man was still burning inside her mind when she entered her apartment after bellowing a 'good evening' to the door of Mr. Toad (it had become a habit even though he didn't answer half of the time). She hadn't seen her neighbour for quite a while.. she guessed he was a busy man right now.

Ann threw her coat and scarf to the Hall Tree.. and missed. Not bothering to pick the items up, she took a nice hot shower and sat down on the couch with her laptop on her lap and with Microsoft Office Word throwing a white and blue hue across her PJ-clad features.

Her fingers pressed several buttons of her keyboard creating one sentence that was deleted after a mere second. This process repeated itself several times as Ann tried to come up with something.. anything that would've blown away the publisher. Ann's brain groaned with imaginative cracks appearing here and there.

"Hopeless.. " She seethed and slammed shut the laptop with more force than she intended to, almost dropping the electronic device that she cursed ever so sweetly.

Her bare feet carried her across the smooth dark wooden floor to her bedroom, tired and slightly dragging with the edge of her over-sized black shirt -with NEW YORK printed on the front- skimming her legging covered thighs. She loved that combination; over-sized shirt and tight leggings. It was warm, comfy and didn't get in the wa-.

**SLAM!**

Her lights flickered and then died when something heavy landed on the floor above her. A lamp dropped from a cabinet and shattered in a thousand little pieces. Her ears picked up some muffled shouting and a high-pierced _scream_. Someone was in trouble!

Without a second thought Ann threw open her front door and stepped outside, the cold tiles of the hallway sending chills via her bare feet up to her spine. Dodging the shopping cart her eyes spotted a man in the entrance of the building, in front of the large staircase in front of him stood a.. toad.

In an instant the man's hazel eyes glanced at her and instantly darkened. He looked familiar..

"I don't understand of your fucking laxness despite you have Mundy _living right next to you,_" he growled and gestured to Ann's approaching form, who was growing less and less confident of her decision to help the one who was in trouble just one floor above them.

Her green eyes were glued to the toad as it turned around, his hand pushed in the pockets of his brown vest and.. and..

"_Shit_.. well, hello neighbour."

Ann felt the blood being drained from her face. Mr. Toad didn't just have a strange name; he was in fact a toad. A fucking talking **toad**. His weird yellowish eyes almost bulged out of his tiny head as he took her in.

"Hi.." Ann weakly murmured raising a ghostly white hand and did something with it that should have looked like a casual wave, but seemed more like a weird twitch.

The man standing in front of the Toad, who didn't appear to be shocked at the very least to the strange 3 feet tall amphibious creature who stood in front of him, pinched the bridge of his nose probably to fight an upcoming headache.

"Look, I don't have time for this shit now. I need to check up-"

There was another loud slam and the sound of something breaking. "YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Someone bellowed from upstairs, sending Ann back to reality and reminded her of the reason that made her to come out of her safe apartment in the first place.

"Then don't fucking stand there! We need to help!" She growled, forgetting Mr. Toad for a moment (she would have to deal with that later) and stormed upstairs. The wooden staircase creaked underneath her bare feet. Someone cursed behind her, muttering something about a glamour –whatever that was- and heavy footsteps followed her.

Ann walked passed the matches and the dangling phone on the wall and pressed her ear against the chipped green door. A woman shrieked and the sound of breaking furniture reached her ears.

"Let me han-"

With a powerful thrust of her shoulder the door slammed open colliding against the wall with a loud BANG. She didn't have time to listen to a man's ranting, someone was in danger! Ann's pale green eyes instantly found the grey ones of her neighbour, the bald guy with the beard and green shirt. He was standing with a raised fist in front of a familiar girl with black hair (the woman she had almost bumped into and saw on the street!) and punched her hard in the face.

"HEY! What the_ fuck _are you doing?!" Ann slammed herself against her tall neighbour who lost his balance out of surprise and collided against the wall behind him.

Ann was slightly taller than the average woman easy matching the height with the average male, but _damn_. This guy was huge. So were the fists that knocked her off her feet.

The man that had followed her now pressed her neighbour against the wall, his elbow at his throat. "Whoa! Hey! Calm the _fuck _down. What's going on here?!" He yelled trying to get some sense in the Woodsman who looked around with frantic brown eyes.

"Hey, you got something on your face."

"Fuck are you talking about you stupid cu-"

The woman spat some blood in the man's face in a mocking sense. It was the wrong move for it made his rage burn a little hotter. "I'll fucking kill you! You FUCKER!" Woody then broke out of the stranger's grasp and head-butted him with a sickening sound. Miraculously he only stumbled a bit, shook his head and glared at the Woodsman.

"What are you going to fucking do, huh? Get the fuck out of the way before you get the axe again."

Ann couldn't help but gulp. Axe? Her eyes slid to the silver axe leaning against the wall behind her. On a normal day she would call it beautiful with the dark handle and faint runes written on the handle and the blade, but now it screamed **DANGER! DANGER! **to her. No way that she was going to let that maniac get that and chop them all into little bits. Carefully she scrambled on her bare feet, her jaw pulsing vigorously.

The stranger sighed, his dark eyebrows knitting together. "You're drunk alright? Think this through. If you keep on like this, I won't have any choice but to put. you. down." His emphasized his last words strongly. Hoping that the Woodsman would see reason, but he just cocked his head back and laughed humourless.

"Put me down? You've got a shit fuckin' memory, Wolf. That's not how it went last time."

"_This isn't last time,_" the guy named 'Wolf' almost growled.

It seemed to be the cue that the Woodsman had been waiting for and threw a large fist at him. Wolf dodged, grabbed the fist and twisted it on his back only to receive the back of the Woodsman's skull colliding against his face and breaking his nose.

The two fought with fire. Breaking the sink, sofa and bed, but it seemed a one-way battle. The guy named Wolf had the upper hand. He was quicker, agiler and probably threw heavier punches than his counterpart judging by the Woodsman's messed up face. When the Woodsman's finally landed a well-aimed punch at Wolf, his eyes feverishly sought around.

"Fuck no," Ann hissed and snatched the axe from its spot against the wall. The Woodsman advanced holding out his hand.

"Give me the axe."

"No!"

"The axe. NOW!"

He launched at her, but dodged a swipe with the weapon. Unused and clumsy to the weight of the large axe in her hands, Ann stumbled and lost her footing. The Woodsman grasped this opportunity and pulled the axe out of her flailing hands instantly smacking Wolf's jaw with the pointed end of the handle.

"Shit, shit, **shit**!"

"Calm down, it's going to be alright."  
Ann's eyes met relaxed emerald. The girl was favouring one leg and seemed to be checking her make-up and the damage whilst the two men were still fighting. It seemed that the Woodsman was now slowly gaining the upper hand.

"Calm down? _Calm down_?" Her voice pitched. "He is going to be chopped into little pieces!" Ann pointed to the fight. Wolf and the Woodsman were now fighting for the possession of the axe.

"No he's not."

At those words Wolf tore the axe out of the Woodsman's hands and threw it on the ground. His large hands curled around the green shirt of his attacked and stormed towards the window, throwing him and the Woodsman out of it.

"Holy _fuck_!"

Ann ran towards the window, spotting Wolf lying on top of a yellow, heavily dented car but there was no sign of her crazy ass neighbour. The woman scrambled towards the door, snatching the heavy axe from the floor and stormed out of the apartment.

Her breath was ragged in her ears and her heart drummed powerful against the inside of her ribs as she flew down the staircase, jumping over the last few steps, and ran outside. The pavement sent shivers up her spine through her bare feet, but she had no time to truly register it. She could only see Wolf dangling in the air by the throat with his feet twitching and the Woodsman shouting at him like someone with a mental disorder. The axe slipped out of her hand and clattered on the street.

"I know you're in there! **Come out and play**!"

"Stop it! You're killing him! STOP!"

Ann pounded against the broad back of the Woodsman, but he did not react no matter how hard her small fists collided against his back. She had to stop him! But _how_?

'The axe..'

She snatched the heavy weapon from the ground and lifted it. Was she ready to kill someone? To cleave his skull like a watermelon? Wolf's eyes started to roll into the back of his head and his struggling slowly ceased. It was kill or be killed. Who knew what the Woodsman was going to do when he killed that man..

The moment she let the axe fall down on the back of the Woodsman's head she could see a flash of yellow eyes and sharp teeth in the corner of her eyes before she closed them. There was a sickening crunched when the axe imbedded itself in its victim, who instantly let go of Wolf.

Ann tore her hands from the axe as if she was burned by it and stood back. Her face pale and her breathing laboured. Her wide eyes tore themselves from the motionless 'ex-neighbour' and focused on Wolf who coughed just a bit and pressed his hand on his forehead. The girl who had been the centre of the fight squeezed his shoulder reassuringly for a moment and-

Oh, god. Did that guy move?

Filled with horror, Ann gasped as the Woodsman groaned, crawled a few inches and then fell to the ground again motionless. _'That guy shouldn't even be moving. Holy sweet jesus.'_

"Hey.. thanks."

A gruff voice pulled Ann out of her initial shock that people with an axe embedded into their brains shouldn't be moving. The guy that the Woodsman named Wolf was standing in front of her, his chocolate eyes apologetic but grateful. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm her nerves. The yellow eyes and sharp teeth must have been a figment of her panic deranged mind. Yes, that must be it.

"I.. no problem." Her soft voice suddenly held a venomous edge to it. "What are you doing?"

The black-haired girl looked up with innocent eyes as she searched the man's pocket. "Getting, what's mine." When she pulled back her hand it only held a few coins.

"What? He's dead and now you are going to rob him?"

Cursing like a sailor she threw the coins down on the ground. "Fuck!" She stood up and stuffed a cigarette between her painted pink lips. "He's not dead. Don't worry about it."

There was something in the girl's voice and Wolf's stance next to her that made Ann held her tongue and not question further. She suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that she heard some snippets of a secret that she wasn't supposed to know. Her green eyes slid from the girl to the man lying there on the ground. Almost on cue the man's fingers curled and his feet twitched.

"I'wwll fwucking kwill yewll!" He groaned muffled with an obviously broken jaw.

"No you won't." With an unlit cigarette dangling in the corner of her mouth the girl added some pressure to the axe imbedded in her not-so-ex-neighbour's brain. Ann couldn't help but to become as white as a sheet. That man wasn't normal!

The girl then picked up her purple purse. Trying to get on a different topic Ann walked to her, taking a deep cool breath and trying to suppress a shiver. Now that the adrenaline was leaving her body she could feel the icy autumn wind blow through her shirt and chill her to the bone.

"I guess that you owed that guy some money? How much?" The girl merely shrugged.

"A hundred."

Sighing Ann touched around, only to be reminded that leggings didn't have pockets, nor did her over-sized shirt have. Wolf reached onto his pocket and pushed some coins and dollar bills in the girl's hand.

"Fifty-eight. It's all I got but I must help right?"

The girl's mouth opened and closed, but eventually pulled upwards in a small delicate smile that lit up her bruised face. It made Ann smile a bit too, and made her jaw sting a bit.

"It does. Thanks. You're not so bad as everybody think you are."

Wolf's eyes shimmered confused, but before he had the chance to reply the girl had patted Ann on her shoulder and took off. Taking an occasional hale from her cigarette.

For a moment Wolf and Ann stood there watching the retreating form from the girl until she rounded the corner and vanished. A deep breath escaped Ann's lips and with a trembling hand she tried to tame the wild fire-coloured mess on top of her head. Her eyes glanced sideways at Wolf; his nose was bloody and obviously broken.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

~~

With a cool baby-blue cloth Bigby Wolf carefully cleaned up his face hissing in pain when he applied a little too much pressure on his broken nose. It wasn't perfectly aligned, but the damage seemed to be a lot less worse after he cleaned away all the blood.

The girl, who introduced herself as Annemarie Smith, held an icepack to her slightly swollen jaw and watched him from her spot on the couch. There was something shimmering beneath all that pale green.. questions mostly.

"So what kind of name is Bigby Wolf?"

"What kind of name is Annemarie Smith?" Bigby gruffly talked back as he made his way towards her, but never took a seat. He preferred standing.

Ann shrugged. "A normal one. So.." she drawled. Carefully picking the words that she should use to describe this peculiar situation.

"Care to explain why my neighbour is a frog, my neighbour is a maniac with an axe and why you have yellow eyes and sharp teeth one moment and gone the next, and the girl didn't even seem fazed by all of this? To me this all sounds like a deranged tale of a loony.."

"Or a fairy-tale," Ann quietly finished and exhaled.

Bigby sighed and rubbed his forehead, the obvious sign that a mean little leprechaun was pounding away inside his skull. "It's not my place to explain. That's all I can say, I'm sorry." Ann merely shrugged at his response her eyes leaving his and settling on her bare feet, puzzled. His hazel eyes then travelled from her green eyes, down her jaw and finally settled on the purple and greenish bruises on her neck.

"How's that neck going?"

Her slim fingers ghosted up to touch the painful spots with images of that fateful night flashing before her eyes. She inhaled. "Better. It's still a bit sore, but after a few days it luckily isn't that black and purple anymore."

Bigby inhaled sharply in surprise when her pale green eyes suddenly caught his. "Thanks," Ann whispered with a something akin to a smile tucked gently at the corner of her mouth.

"For what?"

"Saving me."


End file.
